To What Lengths
by MidnightShadow101
Summary: Born to a mother who died in a tragic accident and father she wish she hadn't, Reyna Isabelle Kyser had never known true happiness. The only salvation that she found was with her best friend, Keto, an alchemy prodigy. He teaches Reyna, who's talents eventually increase to match his. But when Keto is killed, to what lengths shall Reyna go to resurrect everyone she loves?
1. Dead

~Born to a mother who died in a tragic accident and father she wish she hadn't, Reyna Isabelle Kyser had never known true happiness. The only salvation that she found was with her best friend, Keto, an alchemy prodigy. He teaches Reyna, who's talents eventually increase to match his. But when Keto is killed, to what lengths shall go to resurrect everyone she loves?~

**A/N: Okay, thank you, whoever decides to read this! I've this in my head for a little while now, and finally decided to put it down on FanFiction. Enjoy, and please review! :)**

**Reyna's POV**

_Reyna is 10, Keto is 12, and Edward (although he is not present in the story yet) is 13._

"REMEMBER, when you put your hands together-" Keto did so to demonstrate. "-your body is representing the alchemetic pentagon. _You _are the circle, and concentrating, you should be able to perform the alchemy without going through the hassle of drawing a pentagon."

I nodded, taking everything he said and storing it in my brain so I wouldn't forget.

"Now, did you practice what I showed you?"

I nodded again, and clapped my hands together, concentrating as hard as I could. Soon, there was a flash of light, and a flawless little toy horse appeared on the ground in front of me.

"That's incredible!" Keto squatted down and examined it. His green eyes flashed with excitement. "You got the hang of it so fast! It took me weeks to figure it out!"

There was an underlining of jealousy in his voice, and I quickly said, "Well, you had to learn it all by yourself. I'm lucky to have a great teacher."

He grinned. "Thanks, Reyna."

And everything was right in the world again.

_One Year Later. Reyna is 11. Keto is 13, and Edward is 14 (although the last is still not present yet)._

I cowered, shrinking down as far as I could, wishing I could turn invisible. And although I knew- and dreaded- what was going to happen next, I couldn't stop myself from shaking.

The closet door opened, and light flooded the tiny space, throwing my figure into relief. I buried my face into my arms, shielding it.

"You little freak!" I felt a sharp stab of pain at my back. "So this is where you've been hiding all this time! What's the matter? Scared?"

I shrieked, and tried to dark away. He caught me- barely- by the back of my collar. I choked and spluttered, both of my hands flying to my throat.

"Where are you going? Trying to get away, maybe, from your father?"

_Father? Father? _The word was terrible, biting, and worst of all, true.

"Going to escape to see your little friend? That little freak?"

Keto? Did he just call Keto a freak?

But I couldn't muster the courage, not even to defend my own friend. I cried, the shame of cowardice overpowering me, and the tears trickled down my cheeks in twin streams. Eventually I just stopped an endured the blows. And all the time, still conscious. Still screaming.

"Reyna!"

Was I hearing things? Was I dying?

"Reyna!"

No, I knew that voice…

"Reyna!"

Struggling, I opened my eyes. Keto was in front of me, a stream of blood dripping into his eye. A nasty gash marred his face right above his eyebrow.

"Keto…" I managed to gasp out. Guilt pricked at my insides. I couldn't even talk to defend my friend from my father's harsh words, and here he was, charging into a fight to save me. I didn't deserve him as a friend.

"Let's go!" He grabbed my hand and tried to pull me up, but I was frozen in fear. I had seen what was behind his shoulder. I screamed.

Keto looked behind him, and then whirled around, but not running, not abandoning me, but spreading his arms, eyes on his imminent death.

Protecting me.

"Keto!" My own scream shattered the air, and it was probably one of the last sounds he ever heard. His body collapsed, an knife in his stomach, but he was still alive, still gasping for air.

That's what broke me. The innocent, scared, cowardly girl was gone, personality cast off like an old cloak. All that was left was the raging spirit, roaring for vengeance. It wanted to avenge its friend.

"You killed him!" I screamed. That's all I could say. "You killed him, you killed him, you killed him!"

I knelt to the ground and placed my hands in Keto's blood, feeling the power surge through my limbs. Cool reason cut through the angry storm. Iron. Blood had iron.

And then there was a knife in my hand, and I was lunging towards my father, murder in my heart. He was taken aback, his senses dulled by a little spark of fear. What had happened to the girl he had beaten? Where did this fighter come from?

In retrospect, I don't remember it at all. All I remembered was the blood on my hands.

After stabbing my father (I shed next to no tears about that), I rushed to the side of my friend. Keto was still alive. He was still alive.

But not for long.

He clutched my hand. "Are… you alright?" He whispered.

I found that the room was growing blurry. Then I realized that it was only tears, only tears.

"Yes." I said softly. He closed his eyes, smiling.

"I'm glad. Do something for me?"

"Anything." I choked out.

"Travel the world. Do you remember everything I taught you?"

I nodded, unable to speak.

"Use it. Become a state alchemist, awe the world. Push alchemy past its borders. Make new discoveries. Help it to expand! Go farther than anyone has ever gone. Promise me."

"I promise. I swear on the life that I currently live because of you."

**Please review! :)**


	2. The Puppetmaster Alchemist

**A/N: Sorry for leaving this so late. I got writer's block, but finally managed to fix this chapter up. Tell me what you think! :)**

**Reyna's POV**

_A Few Months Later..._

_Reyna is 11. Edward is 14._

I had erased all traces of my family and my friends. The local police came and investigated, and I told them about my father's abuse, and how Keto was only attacking in self-defense. I told them that Keto stabbed my father and died of blood loss later. They didn't question me. After all, I was just the poor, abused, little girl that was mentally traumatized. I couldn't have harmed anyone. I was a witness, too paralyzed to move.

I pressed charges against my dead father, so Keto was officially given a hero's funeral. I didn't stay for it. His rich parents wouldn't have let me come anyway. One of the two only things I brought with me was the knife I stabbed my father with. Although I shuddered to think of what it did, it is a symbol of me breaking free from the chains my father had imprisoned me with. It was also a piece of Keto, quite literally, since I had transmuted it from the iron in his blood.

The other thing I took was my father's silver locket. Inside was a picture of my mother, dark-haired and blue-eyed, smiling. My father had thrown in away years ago, discarding it in the cellar. I had showed it to Keto, who agreed that she was beautiful. I had asked him for a picture of him too, and his smiling face occupied the other frame. The locket was dear to me, and I couldn't bear to part with it.

I was going to keep my promise. I was going to travel the world. I was going to push the borders of alchemy further than it had ever been pushed.

_One Year Later, In the Central State Alchemy Building…_

_Reyna is 12._

**3rd POV**

The girl cut an impressive figure, somehow. She was averagely sized and willowy, with dark hair pulled back into a snake-braid. Her cheeks were pale and smooth as unmarked vellum, and her icy blue eyes were the color of the Arctic sky. She was surprisingly young and quite pretty, and although her face still retained some of its childish qualities, her expression was a hardened, impassive mask. She wore a black silk cloak and gloves. When she raised her hand to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the examiner noticed the glint of a knife at her belt.

"Name?" He asked briskly. He was an older man and had been doing his job for quite a few years now, weeding out the wannabe's and the one's with true potential. He was skeptical of this girl, but she gave off this aura that made his spine prickle.

"Reyna Isabelle Kyser." She spoke in a whisper, but her voice somehow managed to carry throughout the room.

"Age?"

"Thirteen."

The examiner looked at her curiously, and couldn't help but ask. "Aren't you a little young to be applying?"

Her lip curled. "Hardly. I believe that age is irrelevant in alchemy."

"Of course, of course." He said hastily. "But since you are a minor, I must request the names of your current guardians."

"I have none."

"Name of your last guardians, then?"

Her voice was cold as steel again. "Father, Andre Kyser. Mother, Isabella Kyser."

"Right then." The examiner set down his papers and leaned back in his chair. "Time for the practical part of your examination. Show us what you can do."

"With pleasure."

She held up her hands in a triangular and framed the examiner within them. Her eyes glowed.

Nothing happened for a few minutes, and then the older man began to feel terribly tired, so very tired. His eyelids drooped. Maybe he could take a nap, just for a little bit, just for a little bit...

And then, when his mind buzzed with sleep, a voice cut through the sloth, cool and sharp as a blade.

"_You belong to me," _Whispered the voice. "_Your body, soul, and spirit responds to my wishes. Your will is mine."_

What a beautiful voice, thought the instructor.

When he awoke, he was lying on his back on the other side of the room, and the entire board of other state alchemists behind him were whispering behind their hands.

Reyna was looking calm and collected and in control. She stepped forward, and spoke, but his time increasing the volume.

"My fellow alchemists," She began. Her voice was loud and powerful, persuasive and insistent. "You see what I have accomplished today. I believe that I match up the State Alchemist standards. However, I leave the choice up to you." She bowed. Her voice was like honey, slow and sweet and flowing smoothly.

All of the examiners gathered into a group. There was some arguments, but eventually they all sat down, and the chief examiner stepped forward again.

"I have to admit, congratulations, Reyna. Creating and perfecting such a technique at such a young age... I take my hat off to you."

Reyna smiled.

"Alchemists! I present to you... the Puppetmaster Alchemist!"

**Please review!**


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